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Warped Tour

Buster The Ska Doggie

Buster the Ska Doggie was born on July 4th, 2008 when The Uptones released their epic Skankin' Foolz Unite! album. Jesse Michaels drew Buster for the record cover and Buster leaped off of it and started dancing around. Before long Buster had amassed a massive collection of ska records and friends and has been to every single ska show on earth, usually attending at least 100 around the world, all at the same time. Don't ask how he does it. Buster blogs at ska4u.com and you also can find him on FB and Twitter. W00f!

For the second year in a row, teh Vans Warped Tour has teamed up with iTunes store to deliver a free promo DL featuring some of the bands playing the tour. This one is heavy on the punk and ska, and that makes this ska doggie happeh! Check it out =) One for USA, and one for Canada.

Listen to the original roots of The Uptones performance for the upcoming Ska Parade‘s “Six Hours Of Ska” on the Kevin Says Stage on the 2010 Warped Tour. Here’s The Uptones’ set list for the shows. It includes some Ska classics as well as some Uptones’ originals. Check out this 8 song set:

Guns Of Navarone

The Skatalites adaptation of the theme to the film The Guns of Navarone was a Ska song that entered the UK Top 10 in 1967. This is old school, when instrumentals were the big thing. The Skatalites are the real deal. Ska started here:

Radiation Boy

This song is wonderful scary. It makes the same sense now then when Eric Din wrote it in 1983. Here’s a live version from Santa Cruz, just after the band reformed in 2002. Like The Specials, the music is topical and has remained in The Uptones set to this day.

Ghost Town

The Specials were the next generation after The Skatalites in the Ska calendar. Their song, Ghost Town was a #1 hit in the U.K. in 1981. These guys were styling and political, and they set the tone for the 2Tone movement. They also created the trombone standard that’s been a part of Ska ever since. The Uptones were being dreamed up around 1981-’82, and The Specials were a very big influence. When The Uptones recently reformed, trombonist Jeanne Geiger was their first recruit. You’ll see why at the show.

Skanking Fool

When The Uptones reformed in 2002, everyone told them “Ska was Dead.” The Uptones were needed to help resuscitate this wonderful musical style. Moose wrote this killer song, and Emily Jayne will sing it at the show. Here’s the version that Moose sings.

Bad Reputation

The Uptones welcome their newest member, Emily Jayne. There’s always been some punk in Ska’s recent History. This song has been waiting for Emily and The Uptones Horns. Check out Joan Jett‘s original version.

Not From Here

Everybody has experienced that feeling of not belonging. Paul Jackson’s song “Not From Here” is all about that. Here’s the version Paul, Eric, and Ben recorded when they were a 4 piece band waiting to reform The Uptones.

Get Out Of My Way

Punk, Ska, and Political, this song reflects The Uptones take on the crazy early 1980s. The first Ska band in West Coast at the time, they influenced a lot of the music to follow from Berkeley, California. “Get Out Of My Way” has also been recorded by Rancid. Listen closely and you can hear Tim Armstrong introducing the band at Gilman St.

Too Much Pressure

Here’s another one of the 2 Tone bands the world should know about, The Selecter. They were popular when The Uptones were forming. Their song “Too Much Pressure” rages with Ska angst. This live version is from “Dance Craze” ~ the definitive documentary on the British Two-Tone ska wave, another key influence on The Uptones.